Covered dual concentric dome mold

ABSTRACT

An apparatus assembly for forming a compound dessert in a predetermined dome shape including a first outer mold having a dome shaped bowl with a closed semi-spherical end and an open end, and a ring shaped support base secured to said closed end of bowl body. A cover including a second dome shaped bowl of a smaller diameter is mounted in the chamber formed in the first mold bowl and the cover is mounted to an extended portion of the outer mold.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 10/302,903 filed Nov. 25, 2002.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates generally to the field of cakebaking and desert molds. More particularly, the present inventionconcerns a covered apparatus for baking a domed, semi-spherical orhemispherical cake or molded dessert having nested concentrically shapedcomponents. The present invention thus relates to an apparatus assemblyfor baking a shaped type of dessert that can be termed a covered dualdomed hemispherical or semi-spherical dome cake and/or combinationdessert mold.

[0003] The present invention is thus directed toward an apparatus formolding cake batter, ice creams, gelatins or other desserts into aparticular outer hemispherical shape with an inner separate mold havinga smaller concentric hemispherical shape while setting or being baked.The invention particularly concerns a dome assembly which molds and/orbakes cakes or desserts in the shape of a hemispherical dome having asecond inner composition shaped as a hemispherical dome.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0004] Food molds are well known in the prior art. A common baking panis a food mold, with one open end, one closed end and a peripheral sidewall. The closed end and side wall define a hollow volume that becomesthe three-dimensional shape of a food product molded by the baking pan.

[0005] Some food pans, such as a baking pan for making angel food cake,have an annular hollow volume at the open end. The hollow volume isfilled with a food composition and then baked. After baking, the pan isinverted to remove the shaped food composition from the open end. Thus,the open end is used to form the bottom of the final food product.

[0006] Some food molds have a centrally located indentation at theclosed end. With a mold of this type, a first food composition may beplaced and formed in the open end and a second food composition may beplaced in the complementary shaped indentation at the closed end. Thisprovides an accurate fit for the second filler food composition withinthe first supporting food composition.

[0007] It can thus be seen that a number of devices have been used inthe molding and baking of desserts to obtain molded desserts in avariety of configurations and for a variety of shaped configurations asdescribed in the prior art. However covered dual domed desserts are rarebecause of the complexity in preparing same. While cakes are commonlyreferred to in the literature as being domed, in effect this is anoccurrence which comes about as the batter expands during baking anddoes not equate to a hemispherical or semispherical shaped cake.

[0008] Historically, it was known in the prior art to bake bread bowlswhich were semi-spherical loaves of bread into which a cavity was carvedfor placement of salads or soups. A conventional bread bowl is typicallymade by forming raw bread dough on the top of a simple inverted bowlwhich is then placed into the oven for baking. Bread bowls made in thismanner often rise from the inverted bowl so that the same presents anuneven appearance, requiring trimming and waste.

[0009] Hemispherical shaped or dome cakes having dual composition arepopular in Italian dessert cooking and are generally known as“Zuccotto”. These cakes are prepared by slicing previously baked spongecake (Pan di Spagna) into thin, vertical slices, lining the interior ofa bowl with plastic wrap and lining the plastic wrap in the bowl withoverlapping pieces of the sponge cake slices. The slices of cake arethen sprinkled with liquor and the dampened assembly is then coveredwith a plastic wrap and refrigerated. A center mixture of chocolate orother filling is poured into the cake lined bowl and the bottom orexposed surface of the filling is covered with other slices of cake. Theentire cake is allowed to set for a number of hours, preferablyovernight, inverted onto a platter and dusted with confectioners sugar.As can be seen, the process for making this cake is quite laborious intime and resources required. It has been found desirable to mold or formdesserts or cake into a layered hemispherical or semi-spherical domeshape which can be baked and/or frozen and marketed as a specializedcake shape similar to that of the Italian “Zuccotto” cakes as the samemake an elegant presentation.

[0010] Many prior art devices and techniques mold and bake dough ofbreads, batters of cakes, cookies, and other baked goods into variousshapes including containers which may be used to hold other foods. Forexample, U.S. Pat. No. 4,812,323, issued Mar. 14, 1989, discloses amethod for molding and baking cookie dough into a cup shape which canthen be used to hold ice cream or other fillings in a similar manner toU.S. Pat. No. 3,296,956, issued Jan. 10, 1967, which also discloses amolding and baking apparatus for the baking of bread dough into acup-like shape. U.S. Pat. No. 1,487,906, issued Mar. 25, 1924, disclosesa pan for baking cake batter into a container shape for holding icecream.

[0011] In U.S. Pat. No. 3,141,400 issued Jul. 21, 1964 a telescopingcake apparatus is disclosed with a center cone assembly which movesupward when the cake batter is baked forming a frustrum conical cakewith a conical center cavity. A one piece strip cross link handle issecured to the upper edge of top of the expendable baking section andthe cone by staples or the like.

[0012] A baked layered product with an apparatus for making same isshown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,831,507, issued Aug. 27, 1974. This bakingassembly uses three baking pans to form a cylindrical bunt bowl body andlid which is placed over the body to hold the filling therein.

[0013] Similarly U.S. Pat. No. 1,852,966 issued Apr. 5, 1932 is directedtoward a baking pan used for baking a cake with a hollow center so thatthe same can have a filling placed therein. A tapered tubular outermember has a core mold mounted thereon attached to a cover over the topof the tubular outer member.

[0014] U.S. Pat. No. 5,948,313, issued Sep. 7, 1999 is directed toward amold assembly for making a baked edible shell. The mold assembly isconstructed of an outer mold shell and an associated inner mold shell,the outer mold shell having a curved main portion with a central openingand an outer rim extending in a plane. The inner mold shell has a curvedmain portion with a central chimney shaped to pass through the outermold central opening. The outer mold opening comprises a raised circularrim with an inwardly directed flange. The outer edge of the outer moldshell is formed with a rolled-up rim. When the edible material is beingcooked, a metal strip with curved ends is mounted over the rolled rim ofthe outer shell mold as seen in FIGS. 4 and 5C to hold both mold shellsin relative positions to eliminate expansion of the edible materialduring cooking.

[0015] Another reference, U.S. Pat. No. 5,226,352 issued Jul. 13, 1993directed toward a baking assembly which has an outer dome shaped memberand an inner dome shaped member as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. A flangeextends outward from the upper edge of the outer dome member to seat theflange extending from the upper edge of the inner dome member. Theflanges are held together by a C clamp or other fastening means. Theinner dome shaped member is TEFLON* coated on its inside surface andoutside surface allowing cake or dough to be baked in the outer domemold and the inner mold.

[0016] In all baking pans, it is desirable to facilitate the partialescape of moisture from these apparatuses in order to develop a degreeof porosity in the final baked product. At the same time, however, thebatter must absorb some moisture to prevent excessive dehydration. Ittherefore becomes necessary to contain the batter at a pressuresufficient to limit the extent to which water is converted to steam,since the batter absorbs steam less easily than water, while allowingfor a degree of conversion and escape. The batter must also be containedto prevent the escape of the cake itself due to its expansion duringbaking.

[0017] The present invention also solves the complex constructionproblems in assembling a domed cake or dessert through the use of asimple apparatus with an easy snap on cover.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0018] The present invention is directed toward an apparatus forsimultaneously producing a covered dual layered semi-spherical orhemispherical dessert or cake using an outer dome shaped bowl with aring shaped base and an inner dome shaped bowl which is supported in theouter dome shaped bowl cavity by a cover which is fastened to thehandles on the outer bowl by rotating the same over handles. Both thecover and the outer dome shaped bowl have handles extending therefromallowing the same to be easily grasped and handled by the user. Thecombined cake sections from each of the outer and inner dome shapedbowls are stacked to form a covered dual semi-spherical or hemisphericalconfiguration.

[0019] It is an object of the invention to prepare two differentcomposition food products into a single hemispherical shapedpresentation.

[0020] It is another object of the invention to provide a cookingassembly for baking a cake that produces a uniformly shaped dome shapedcake with an internal composition of a similar but smaller shape that isresistant to tilting and rolling.

[0021] It is still another object of the invention to provide a cookingassembly which delivers heat energy evenly to all areas of the cakebatter being baked while covering the cake batter in the outer bowl.

[0022] Yet another object of the invention is to provide an apparatusthat is easy to use, ruggedized and reliable.

[0023] It is a further object of the invention to mold cake batter or adessert composition in an enclosure of a desired shape and bake or setthe enclosure composition while maintaining heat and pressure at aprecise desired level.

[0024] It is yet another object of the invention is to provide ancooking assembly which is easily broken into individual components andis easy to clean.

[0025] Another object of the invention is to provide a cooking assemblyfor simultaneously baking two hemispherical cakes of different sizeswith one cake fitting into a cavity formed during the baking process inthe outer cake to produce a uniform cake that is predictable andreproducible without size variance.

[0026] Still another object of the invention is to provide a cookingassembly that has one or more of the characteristics discussed above butwhich is relatively simple to use and requires a minimum of cookingskills.

[0027] In the accompanying drawings, there is shown illustrativeembodiments of the invention from which these and other objectives,novel features and advantages will be readily apparent.

[0028] These and other objects, advantages, and novel features of thepresent invention will become apparent when considered with theteachings contained in the detailed disclosure along with theaccompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the covered dual concentric domebowl apparatus of the present invention;

[0030]FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the outer dome bowl component of FIG.1;

[0031]FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the outer dome bowlcomponent of FIG. 1 with a portion of the ring base shown in phantom;

[0032]FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the outer bowl rimtaken from circle A of the outer bowl component of FIG. 2;

[0033]FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the base ring of theouter bowl dome component of FIG. 2 removed from the outer bowl dome;

[0034]FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the base ring shown in FIG. 5;

[0035]FIG. 7 is a partial side elevational view and cross section takenalong line 7′-7′ of the base ring shown in FIG. 6;

[0036]FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the cover and integrally formed innerbowl component;

[0037]FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view of the cover and integrallyformed inner bowl component taken along line A-A of FIG. 8;

[0038]FIG. 10 is a cross sectional view of the cover and integrallyformed inner bowl component taken along line B-B of FIG. 8;

[0039]FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the handle of the outer dome bowlcomponent;

[0040]FIG. 12 is an enlarged top plan view of the handles for the outerdome bowl component;

[0041]FIG. 13 is a cross section of the handles of FIG. 12 taken acrossline 13′-13′; and

[0042]FIG. 14 is an alternative embodiment of the cover and integrallyformed inner bowl component.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0043] The preferred embodiment and best mode of the invention is shownin FIGS. 1 through 13. “Batter” as used herein in the application ismeant to encompass cake batter, dough, malleable ice cream, gelatin or amalleable dessert which sets up in a rigid or semi-rigid shape.

[0044] Referring to the Figures, a molding or baking assembly 20according to the invention is adapted to shape or mold cake batter,other compositions of baking goods or complimentary desserts such as icecream, gelatins, puddings into a concentric domed layered dessert havinga semispherical or hemispherical shape.

[0045] The outer dome pan or bowl 22 is typically symmetrical with aconcavo-convex spherical shape. The outer dome mold is constructed witha bowl body 24 having a spherical or curved closed bottom surface 26 andan open end 28 forming an interior chamber or cavity 29. The open end 28is formed with a curved or rolled outer lip or rim 30 as shown in FIGS.2 and 4 and has two handles 31 secured to the exterior of the outer domebowl extending outward from the rim opposite each other. The outer lip30 is curved in a circular configuration and preferably has a diameterof about 0.25 inches.

[0046] A base ring member 32 is secured to the bottom surface 26 of thebowl body 24 to provide a flat base surface during working and/orcooking. The ring member 32 is preferably constructed of 22 gage C1018cold rolled steel with a bell shaped exterior surface having a side wall34 having a curved bottom edge 36 and a planar top edge 37 which hasfour tabs 38 outwardly extending therefrom bent at an angle ranging fromabout 120 to 130°, preferably about 124°. The ring member 32 is securedto the base section of the bowl body 24 by welding or braising. Each tab38 is positioned on the ring circumference 90° from the other adjacenttabs located on the circular top edge 37 and has a length ofapproximately 1 inch. The base ring 32 preferably has a diameter of 4.25inches and a height of about 1.07 inches when used with a 8.38 inchouter diameter bowl having a depth of 3.98 to 4.0 inches. When ringmember 32 is mounted or secured to the bowl body 24, there is aclearance ranging from about 0.40 to about 0.60 inches, preferably about0.47 inches from the lowest outer bottom surface of the bowl to the topof the support area upon which the ring member 32 is seated.

[0047] If desired, a bimetallic thermometer can be attached to the ringmember 32 which thermometer would turn an appropriate color uponreaching the desired cooking temperature allowing the cook to ascertainthat the desired temperature has been reached.

[0048] The bowl body 24 and base ring 32 is preferably integrallyconstructed of sheet steel or stainless steel but can be constructed ofcopper, aluminum, cast iron, pyrex, glass, porcelain, ceramic or anytype of microwaveable material at a uniform desired thickness commonlyused for baking pans and containers. If desired, the bowl body can haveits external surface coated with a non-corroding material such as tin orchromium. The bowl 24 therefore may be constructed of a single sheet ofmetal formed into the desired shape. The inside smooth surface 25 of thebowl is preferably coated with one or more nonstick coatings, such asfor example TEFLON® (i.e., fluorocarbon polymers), (e.g.,tetrafluroethlene and fluorinated ethylene propylene). The interiorsurface 25 of the bowl 24, which contacts the batter or dessertcomposition, is covered with TEFLON® in the preferred embodiment to easethe removal of the baked or chilled product from the bowl. The radialsloping of the inner wall 25 further eases removal of the final dessertcomposition. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art thatother shapes and geometries of pan assemblies are possible, and that thespecifics of material of which it is made can be changed withoutdeparting from scope of the invention. For example, the mold may beformed as a cone, or other shape. Additionally, it can be stamped from asolid piece of material or spun from aluminum instead of formed from asheet.

[0049] The cover 50 has an integral curved bowl 51 as shown in FIGS. 8through 10. The inner dome bowl 51 is typically symmetrical with aconcavo-convex spherical shape constructed with a bowl body 52 having aspherical or curved closed bottom surface 54 and an open end 60 formingchamber 55. The bowl body 52 extends away from cover 50 so that it willbe seated in cavity 29. The cover 50 is substantially circular shapedwith handles 62 which are shaped to fit over the outer bowl handles 31.The ends 64 of the handles 62 are rolled or bent in a “C” configurationas shown in FIG. 8 so that the bottom portion 66 fits under the lowersurface of handles 31 of the bowl, locking the same in position.

[0050] If desired, the cover 50 and inner bowl 51 can be constructed ofporous material such as high temperature TEFLON coated high temperaturefiberglass ranging from 5 to 10 mils in thickness or a stainless steelwire cloth also TEFLON coated on both sides, both of which arebreathable an allow an air flow of 50 CFM which vents moisture duringbaking without batter coming through. The porous material has a sieveopening for the stainless steel wire cloth ranging from 0.0165+ or−0.0005 and the stainless steel is STME 1187. The inside and outsidesurfaces of the bowl 52 are preferably coated with one or more nonstickcoatings, such as for example TEFLON® (i.e., fluorocarbon polymers),(e.g., tetrafluroethiene and fluorinated ethylene propylene).Alternately the bowl body 51 can be constructed of sheet steel,stainless steel, copper, aluminum, cast iron, pyrex, glass, porcelain,ceramic or any type of microwaveable material at a uniform desiredthickness commonly used for baking pans and containers.

[0051] The interior surface 53 of the bowl 51, which contacts the batteror dessert composition is smooth and is covered with TEFLON® in thepreferred embodiment to ease the removal of the baked or chilled productfrom the bowl. The radial sloping of the inner wall 53 further easesremoval of the final dessert composition. It will be appreciated bythose skilled in the art that other shapes and geometries of panassemblies are possible, and that the specifics of material of which itis made can be changed without departing from scope of the invention.

[0052] The inner bowl 51 is mounted in the outer bowl cavity 29 byplacing the cover 50 on the rim 30 so that the handles 62 are offsetfrom the outer bowl handles 31. The cover 50 is then rotated so that theends 64 of the handles 62 engage the outer bowl handles 31 so that thebottom portion 66 are positioned under the bottom surface of outer bowl31. In an alternative embodiments as shown in FIG. 14, a wire handlemember 70 can be optionally mounted in yokes 72 which are mounted to thetop surface of the cover 50. The handle is of a curved shaped with endsections 71 extending outward to fit into the yokes. The handle 70 canbe rotated upward to allow twisting and removal of the cover 50 from thedome bowl 24.

[0053] In operation cake batter is poured, about ⅔ to ¾ full, in thebowl body 24 and the cover 50 and its integral inner bowl 51 is placedin chamber or cavity 29 of the outer dome pan 22 down into the batter inchamber 29 and the cover rotated so that both handles are aligned andlocked. A second cake batter of a different flavor as for examplechocolate is poured in the chamber of bowl 51 about ⅔ to ¾ of the depthof the bowl 52.

[0054] After the batter 24 is molded and baked by the application ofheat to the bowls, the cover 50 is removed and the inner dome mold istaken out of its nesting position in the outer mold bowl 24 leaving acavity in the cake. The TEFLON® coating of the interior and exteriorsurface of the inner mold bowl 51 facilitates removal of the moldwithout tearing or damaging the final baked product. The baked cake isthen removed from the inner mold bowl body 51, the TEFLON® coating ofthe interior surface of the inner bowl mold facilitating the dessertremoval. The result is a baked goods, which is hemispherically shapedand ready to eat. The TEFLON® coating of the interior surface 25 of theouter dome mold 24 facilitates removal of the baked product withouttearing or damaging the final baked product. The interior cake or otheroptional filling is then placed in the cavity formed by inner mold bowlbody 51 and the composite assembly is inverted onto a serving area forfrosting, icing or other decoration preparatory to being served. Theresult is a covered dual domed cake or dessert which is domed shaped asa hemisphere and ready to eat. The baked goods may be filled or coatedwith ice cream, pudding, icing or other sweet filling for a dessertpastry.

[0055] Although aluminum, sheet steel and/or stainless steel ispreferred for the concavo-convex outer bowl body, any suitablestructural material could be used in its place, as for example, alloyedsteel, copper, brass, cast iron or even glass or ceramic, such asstoneware. The inner bowl body has the same structural body as that ofthe preferred embodiment.

[0056] The principles, preferred embodiments and modes of operation ofthe present invention have been described in the foregoingspecification. However; the invention should not be construed as limitedto the particular embodiments which have been described above. Instead,the embodiments described here should be regarded as illustrative ratherthan restrictive. Variations and changes may be made by others withoutdeparting from the scope of the present inventions defined by thefollowing claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus assembly for forming a compounddessert in a predetermined shape comprising: a first outer moldcomprising a dome shaped bowl with a closed semi-spherical end and anopen end defining a cavity, handles mounted to said bowl, a support basesecured to said closed end of said outer bowl body, said open enddefining a lip extending outward from said bowl open end; and a coverassembly comprising a closure member defining a second inner mold, saidsecond inner mold comprising a dome shaped bowl with a closedsemi-spherical end and an open end of lesser diameter then said firstouter mold defining a cavity, said closure member being provided withhandles and being removably mounted to said first outer mold to allowthe first mold and cover assembly to be secured together and the coverassembly to be removed.
 2. An apparatus assembly as claimed in claim 1for forming a compound dessert in a predetermined shape wherein an innersurface of said first outer mold bowl and said second inner mold bowland an outer surface of said second mold bowl are coated with a nonstickmaterial.
 3. An apparatus assembly as claimed in claim 2 for forming acompound dessert in a predetermined shape wherein said nonstick compoundis tetrafluroethiene.
 4. An apparatus assembly as claimed in claim 2 forforming a compound dessert in a predetermined shape wherein saidnonstick compound is fluorinated ethylene propylene.
 5. An apparatusassembly as claimed in claim 1 for forming a compound dessert in apredetermined shape comprising wherein said support base is a ringmember having an arcuate side wall and a planar bottom surface.
 6. Anapparatus assembly as claimed in claim 5 for forming a compound dessertin a predetermined shape wherein said ring member has a plurality oftabs extending away from an axis taken through the center of the ringmember.
 7. An apparatus assembly as claimed in claim 6 for forming acompound dessert in a predetermined shape wherein said tabs arepositioned on an edge of said ring and are located 90° from each other.8. An apparatus assembly as claimed in claim 6 for forming a compounddessert in a predetermined shape wherein said tabs extend outward froman axis through the center of the ring member at an angle ranging fromabout 120° to about 130°.
 9. An apparatus assembly as claimed in claim 1for forming a compound dessert in a predetermined shape wherein saidclosure member handles are adapted to be mounted around said first outerbowl handles.
 10. An apparatus assembly as claimed in claim 9 forforming a compound dessert in a predetermined shape wherein said closuremember handles have a downwardly curved end section with an end sectiondirected back toward said second inner mold which fits around the distalends of said outer mold bowl handles.
 11. An apparatus assembly asclaimed in claim 1 for forming a compound dessert in a predeterminedshape wherein said cover assembly inner mold bowl is constructed of hightemperature porous fiberglass coated with a non stick material on atleast one surface, said inner mold bowl allowing air flow therethroughwhile preventing a food composition from flowing therethrough.
 12. Anapparatus assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein said inner mold bowl ofsaid cover assembly is constructed of a porous material allowing airflowtherethrough while preventing a food composition positioned adjacentsaid bowl from flowing therethrough.
 13. An apparatus assembly asclaimed in claim 1 wherein said non-stick material is coated on an outersurface and an inner surface of said inner mold bowl.
 14. An apparatusfor forming a foodstuff in a predetermined shape comprising: a firsthemispherical shaped outer bowl having a lip extending around its outercircumference and a base secured to its bowl; a cover assembly mountedto said outer bowl, said cover assembly comprising a secondhemispherical shaped inner bowl which is adapted to be mounted in saidouter bowl and a skirt member extending from the circumference of saidinner bowl so that when said cover assembly is mounted to said outerbowl said first and second bowls are mounted together in a nestingrelationship; and integral fastening means formed on said skirt memberholding said inner bowl in a spaced fastened position in relation tosaid outer bowl.
 15. An apparatus as claimed in claim 14 wherein saidskirt has opposing handles mounted thereto, said handles defining acurved flange which engages a bottom surface of said outer bowl lip. 16.An apparatus as claimed in claim 15 wherein said curved flange has across section which is substantially “C” shaped.
 17. An apparatus asclaimed in claim 14 wherein an inner surface of said first outer moldbowl and said second inner mold bowl and an outer surface of said secondmold bowl are coated with a nonstick material.
 18. An apparatus forforming and baking batter in a predetermined shape comprising: a firsthemispherical outer baking bowl having a lip extending around its outeropen circumference and handles extending from said baking bowl, a ringshaped base mounted to an outer surface of said bowl; a cover assemblywith an integral second hemisphere inner baking bowl which is adapted tobe mounted to said outer baking bowl with the inner baking bowl beingpositioned within the cavity of said outer baking bowl, said coverassembly comprising a substantially circular cover member extendingoutward from the inner baking bowl which extends past the inner diameterof said outer baking bowl; said cover member defining said handle meansin the form of an end flange bent downward and back towards said innerbaking bowl to engage said handles of said outer baking bowl and fastenthe cover assembly to said outer baking bowl.
 19. An apparatus asclaimed in claim 18 for forming a compound dessert in a predeterminedshape wherein said outer and inner bowls are coated with a nonstickmaterial.
 20. An apparatus as claimed in claim 18 for forming a compounddessert in a predetermined shape wherein said inner bowl has its insidesurface and outside surface coated with a nonstick material.
 21. Anapparatus assembly as claimed in claim 18 wherein a rotatable handlemember is mounted to the top surface of said circular cover member. 22.An apparatus assembly as claimed in claim 21 wherein said handle memberis an arcuate wire with a circular cross section.